You are a soldier in the Union army like John L. Burns, a hero from the
Battle of Gettysburg. Soldiers like you come
from many different races, states, cultures, and economic backgrounds.
Include in your paper what state you are from and what you did before
becoming a soldier. Discuss your thoughts on why you are fighting and
what you think of the abolitionists and ending slavery. Let us know
what battles you have fought in. Discuss some of the
hardships you faced and some of the things you have seen.

Union Officer

Brevet Major General Joshua Chamberlain had no formal military training
unlike many Union officers who were trained at West Point with many of
the Confederate officers. Being a Union officer, please make sure and discuss where you went
to get your military training and if you knew any Confederate officers.
Many of your fellow officers decided to leave the Union and join the
Confederate army. Let us know why you did not. Please let us
know if you are married and if so where your wife lives. Also, let us
know where you are from, what your occupation was before the war and what you plan to do after the war is over.
Also, discuss the advantages and disadvantages your army has over Confederate Army.
Let us know what battles you have fought in and some of the things you have
seen. Finally, discuss your feelings on the
abolitionists and slavery itself.

Abolitionist

You are one
of the people who has been pushing for years to end slavery like William
Lloyd Garrison, pictured above. Please
let us know what state you are from and what you have done in your quest for
abolition of the slaves. For example, many abolitionists have worked on the
Underground Railroad, opened and written in newspapers and books, and simply
organized rallies. Please discuss your economic background and what
your career is outside of your work as an abolitionist. Discuss why
you have not taken up arms to fight the Confederacy.

Politician

You
are a politician in the Union like Abraham Lincoln in the picture above. You are part of a failed attempt to
compromise with Southern states and come up with diplomatic solutions to
differences with the South. Make sure and tell what state you
are from, your political party, and what your career is outside of
politics. Discuss your position on slavery, whether or not the federal
government should have so much power over the states, and how you plan
to keep European support for the Union in the Civil War. Discuss your
plans for the South after the war should the North be victorious.

Civilian

Millions of Americans like you read the stories of the war in newspapers. Tell us which state you are from, which side
you support, Confederate or Union, where you stand on slavery, why you think
they are fighting the war, and why you are not fighting. Make sure and
let us know if you are a man or a woman and what you do for a living.

Ex-slave

You were a slave, like Frederick Douglass in the picture above, in what is now a state in another country. Let us know what state you
live in now, who your master was, what type of plantation you lived on, what
your job on the plantation was, and what you think about the war.
Also, tell us if and how many times you were sold, what you thought of your master,
and let us know why you left your plantation. Finally, let us know
what you went through to get out and if you left anyone behind.